A Florida artist is
facing criminal charges after deliberately dropping a vase by dissident
Chinese artist Ai Weiwei in an apparent protest.
Maximo Caminero, 51, was charged with criminal mischief after breaking the $1m (£600,000) vase on Sunday in Miami.
Police say Mr Caminero told them he broke the art work in protest at the Perez Art Museum Miami's failure to exhibit work by local artists.
Mr Ai said he did not support artists destroying other artists' work.
Mr Ai - who was detained in 2011 by China during a crackdown on dissent, and whose relationship with the Chinese authorities remains deeply antagonistic - pointed out that his own work is never shown in China.
A security guard told police officers that Mr Caminero picked up a coloured vase that was part of a floor installation, and when told to put it down, smashed it on the floor, according to a police affidavit.
The Florida artist said he would hold a news conference on Tuesday to explain the act. He told the Miami New Times that he did indeed destroy the vase in protest.
"I did it for all the local artists in Miami that have never been shown in museums here," he told the newspaper. "They have spent so many millions now on international artists."
Mr Caminero said he acted spontaneously, inspired
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